After a wildly successful celebration of the music of Taylor Swift at Geelong Botanical Gardens in April, Invictus Quartet returns to Geelong to perform the Best of Hans Zimmer and More this Saturday night.
Part of the critically acclaimed international Candlelight Concert series, the string quartet will perform two shows at Geelong West Town Hall on Saturday, September 20 at 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm featuring arrangements of music from the Lion King, Interstellar, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
Rebecca Wang, one of the Melbourne-based ensemble’s violinists, said Invictus Quartet’s experiences as part of Candlelight Concerts had been both touching and humbling.
“I would say it’s probably changed my life,” Ms Wang said.
“We’ve done almost 100 concerts since the end of 2022 and played to so many people. The exposure we’ve got from Candlelight has been overwhelming in the best possible way.
“Sometimes we receive messages after a show from an audience member telling us how special it was. Sometimes I look out into the audience and see people crying.
“I love that we’re able to give them that special, personal experience and make their night. Candlelight’s been amazing in how we’ve been able to share our music with everyone.”
Awhina Palmer, spokesperson for entertainment company Fever, said the Candlelight Concert series had been developed to open up the world of classical music to a whole new audience.
Classical music has often been referred to as an elitist and inaccessible genre and has long been considered out-of-reach for many people,” Ms Palmer said.
“When launched in New York, Madrid and Paris in 2019, the Candlelight Concerts’ main focus was to showcase the music of composers such as Vivaldi, Chopin or Beethoven, and to bring traditional classical music closer to a new demographic to which it wouldn’t typically appeal.
“Fast forward to today, where over 70% of Candlelight Concert attendees are under the age of 40 – most of whom have never attended a classical music concert before.”
Ms Wang said the goals of Invictus Quartet aligned perfectly with those of the Candlelight Concerts.
“One of our main goals is to make music accessible to everyone, so we mash up a lot of classical and pop tunes, that’s something we really love doing,” she said.
“We just love exploring music, and through Candlelight we’ve been able to reach such a wide range of people.
“You don’t need to be well-versed in classical music or anything; for lots of people it’s their first time going to a classical concert. It’s for anyone.”
